Man facing several charges after Portland standoff

PORTLAND, Maine — A standoff Monday between a man who barricaded himself inside an Alder Street duplex and Portland police ended after more than four hours with the man’s arrest.

Kyle Upton, 28, is charged with the domestic violence crimes of criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, terrorizing, assault and causing a police standoff, Portland police said in a news release late Monday night.

Upton, who is homeless, was staying with acquaintances in the apartment at 41 Alder St. but was alone throughout the incident, police officials said.

Portland police Chief Mike Sauschuck said early Monday evening that the standoff began shortly before 3 p.m., when the Police Department was sent to the duplex to investigate a report of a domestic violence assault.

“The information we received led us to believe that the individual inside the residence was armed,” Sauschuk said. Upton refused to comply with police officers’ orders to come out of the building.

The Police Department’s crisis negotiators communicated with the man by cellphone for several hours before convincing him to surrender shortly after 7 p.m.

At least eight police vehicles converged at the scene, including Portland’s green military-style Bearcat, used for SWAT situations.

A crowd of about 40 people gathered across Portland Street from the incident looking on. Police roped off the area near the intersection of Alder and Oxford streets until the standoff concluded.

Jennifer Bann, who was among the onlookers and said she lives in the area, said police moved a group of pedestrians from the corner of Alder Street because they were in the possible line of fire from the house where the suspect is holed up.

“An officer ran into a house up there around 3:15 with a rifle,” she said. “There was another officer [who looked like he had] a sniper rifle leaning up against a truck across the street.”

Todd Fournier, who is the landlord of the building where the suspect is located, said the suspect is not a tenant of his.

He said police asked him to draw up a map of the building in case they need to go in.

Fournier said he believes the suspect is an acquaintance of his second-floor tenants, who are in the process of moving out.

“For whatever reason, he got upset about something and started waving a gun around,” he said. “[My tenants] felt threatened and went to the police.”

Sauschuk said the alleged victim did not require medical attention.

Adjacent buildings were evacuated and area streets closed while negotiations continued. The affected streets were reopened about 7:30 p.m.

BDN blogger Bob Higgins contributed to this report.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TRS 800-787-3224. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.